Those Two
by potat lasaro
Summary: Something was different about them. Janine couldn't prove it just yet, but by the end of the day she would have all the proof needed. Now the only problem was how to catch them without being caught herself.


**Welcome back. Not much to say other than a fun one-shot on everyone's favorite duo. Hope you all enjoy.**

 **Those Two**

* * *

"You honestly don't find them a little strange?" Janine asked, sitting up on the bed as the boy kneeling on the floor filled his suitcase with close. It had been a thought that had always been in her mind regarding her classmates. Bruce and Trent, the two students who seemed inseparable were a strange case for Janine. Despite having no classes with them, she had heard stories pertaining to their tall tales. Especially their latest adventure on a cruise ship. None of it made sense to her, the girl having known full well that there was no ship with a recorded name as the one they had supposedly been on.

"Bruce and Trent? They're different but once you spend time with them they're fun to be around," Ash explained, his partner handing him a pair of socks before tossing them into his luggage. Janine sighed out at the answer before resting her face on her open palm. She couldn't have been the _only_ person suspicious of them. "Yeah, their stories seem out there but there's nothing wrong with some stories. And please get off my bed, it took forever to make it."

Rolling her eyes, the young student skirted off the piece of furniture before leaning against the wall. With everything that had just gone down mixed with the boys' conditions upon their return, she couldn't help but feel suspicious towards them. Ash continued to pack his belongings while Janine remained deep in thought. She knew something was up with those two and she was going to prove it no matter what.

"Though, shouldn't you worry more about packing than about those two? The bus for Pallet Town will be here in a few hours and you haven't got your stuff," Ash stated, pausing a moment as he looked over the pile before him. Janine remained silent as he tossed a few items into the corner, the girl figuring he had decided to leave them here. Pushing off the wall, the girl stood straight up.

"I _had_ been planning to just stay at home after the internship so I'm already packed. Just have to go and grab my stuff before we leave," she answered before returning the subject to their classmates. "But seriously, the facts don't add up, Ash. There _is_ something they're hiding from all of us. I can sense it from them."

Ash just shrugged before folding a shirt and tossing it into his luggage. Janine chuckled at his folding job before taking it from the bag, properly folding the shirt so that it sat neatly in the suitcase.

"Maybe they might be hiding something. And maybe they might be different, but so far they haven't given me any reason not to trust them, those two were in the same class as me and we got along just fine. Besides, maybe the stuff they talk about is unknown to us cause they're from other regions."

"Then why come here? They've got good schools in other regions and besides, it isn't like with Paul where he got in on a recommendation. So what's their angle? Are they here to watch us or something bigger?" Janine asked, holding her chin as her eyes narrowed onto the spot of the floor in front of her feet. She was racking her brain for answers to this crazy question, especially since she had never wondered what they were up to until now.

"Why not. It's a nice school," Ash answered as he struggled to zip up his suitcase. Getting it shut, Ash jumped backwards as the item popped open. His clothes shooting out of it and landing across the room. Janine shook her head at the young boy who sat in defeat; how he couldn't fit everything into a suitcase was beyond her imagination. "So how about we meet up in a little? I think Pikachu and I have to decide what we really need to bring back home with us."

"Sure. I just remembered that I have a few things to take care of too," she replied, pulling one of Ash's shirts off of the door handle. She didn't wait for a reply from the boy, instead exiting the room and making her way down the hall. Looking around the abandoned dorm room, she realized that Brock must have left for his own home already. The usual signs of his presence being absent; the kitchen looking barren without his cookbooks or utensils.

Walking out the front door, Janine noticed that across the hall was none other than those two. Bruce and Trent were doing something in their room, Janine unsure as to what it was but she could make out a part of their conversation. Moving closer, she carefully listened in while trying to remain unseen. Peering through the open door, she saw the duo relaxing on their beds. The girl noting how their room was set up differently than every other one in this building.

"You know what, Trent? I don't think I'll ever get tired of sleeping on a bed," Bruce spoke up, Janine noticing him laying on his bed. His eyes shut as his roommate seemed to be writing something down into a notebook. Shutting it, Trent placed it away in his bag before facing Bruce.

"Yeah, you seem to tell me that every time you're on one. I get it, you enjoy sleeping on beds instead of streets. But we can't get too comfy here. There are still several more places we have to head to."

"I know, I know..." Bruce yawned out, turning on his bed. Janine flinched for a moment, wondering if he would see her since his closed eyes were looking towards the door. Seeing no reaction from him, the girl moved out of his possible range of vision before listening some more. "Not everyone is part of a royal bloodline though. You'd think you would use that more for our benefit."

"Please, you and I both know it's nothing but a title at this point. I hold about as much political power as you did with your gang in Lumiose City."

Janine gasped at the accusations that the two had made to each other, her noise causing them to both look in her direction. Being careful to not be seen, Janine watched from the corner of her eye as Trent made his way over to the door. Thinking quickly, the young girl leapt towards the ceiling, planting her hands and legs against the walls to keep from slipping. Holding her breath, she waited until Trent turned away from the door with a light shrug. About to drop down, she heard footsteps coming from the room once more as sweat started to form on her face.

"So what was that noise, bro? Someone out there?" Bruce asked, standing at the entrance to their room along with his best friend. Janine could feel her palms growing sweaty, her grip fading away as she struggled to hold her position.

"Not sure. I didn't see anyone," the young boy responded before throwing his hands behind his head. Janine noticed he had on the bag from before, the duo shutting their dorm room door now. "Doesn't matter really, we should get going anyways. Probably about time to go back again. Isn't it about time we get involved with something again?"

"Probably, but that one always seems to have things covered there. Kalos, Alola, doesn't really matter while As-" Bruce began to say, his sentence being stopped with a look from Trent. Janine's mind was moving a mile a minute with all this new information they had said to her. What were they getting involved in? And who had things covered? And most importantly, who was the person Bruce was about to name and why couldn't they say his name?

"Thanks for catching me there, bro." The duo then exchanged a fist bump before turning away from their door. As they began to walk down the hallway, Janine sighed in relief as a drop of sweat fell from her face and struck the ground. Her heart stopped for a moment as the duo turned around at the sound, the girl worried they would see her now. However, they merely shrugged their shoulders before continuing on their way. Yet, it felt like they were leading her on. Unsure of it, Janine waited for them to enter the elevator and head downstairs before letting herself drop to the floor.

"What are those two up to now?" Janine asked, wiping her forehead clean before rubbing her sweaty hands against the sides of her clothing. Walking to the elevator, the girl called for the transportation as she dwelled on it all. To her surprise, she had been right about them hiding stuff; one was actually a prince or possibly even a king and the other had been in a gang of sorts. She couldn't remember which was which, and even if she told someone it they wouldn't believe her without proof. And what was in that book? No doubt it would help provide enough evidence for her.

The doors of the elevator opened as the girl pounded a fist into an open palm. It was now agreed upon by Janine that she was going to follow them for a bit; hopefully get her hands on that book and prove to Ash that they were hiding something. Pressing the button to send the device downward, the young student started to wonder how she could get them without giving herself away to them.

Reaching the entrance to the building, she noticed the duo making their way towards the cafeteria. If she was fast enough, maybe she could beat them there and set up a trap of sorts. Perhaps a net or even a simple pitfall would suffice. Smirking, she knew she had those two figured out before running out the front door. Taking a different route than what the duo were taking, Janine reached into the bag she was carrying and pulled out rope and a net. Though usually saved for her ninja training, this was an exception. Sprinting across the campus, she reached an intersection the duo would have to pass by to get to the cafeteria.

Setting her trap up, the girl rigged the rope up to a nearby tree so that the moment they stepped on it the trap would spring into action. Stepping onto a small section of the rope would cause the net she set up on the ground, the object blending in with ease thanks to the pavement. Watching for them, the girl hid amongst the bushes as the duo continued on their way.

"You know, I'm still a little miffed at you for not letting us grab some food on that ship, bro. I'm starving!" Bruce shouted out, his hands landing firmly against his stomach. Janine continued to wait in anticipation, the girl knowing that her evidence would soon walk into her trap. The two boys were just feet away from her trap; she could almost feel that notebook sitting in her hands. However, their movements came to a stop as they seemed to be looking for something around the area.

 _Did they see it?_ Janine thought to herself. The longer it took for them to set the trap off, the less likely it would work. Biting her lip, Janine waited in anxiety as the two boys stared at each other.

"Give it a rest, bro! You know we didn't have time."

"But it was her food... I just wanted to see if the legends were true," Bruce moaned out, Trent smiling about it all. Janine wondered if this woman they spoke of was some leader they reported to or maybe it was someone within their organization they rarely saw. Her thoughts came to an end as Trent seemed to pat his friend on the back before muttering something. The two boys were too far away for Janine to hear even with her excellent ears. The young student could only continue to wait as the boys took their first step.

"Actually, I'm not hungry now. My appetite was left on that ship. Let's just get going."

"Fine by me. Not like we can't just grab food anytime we want. And besides, we're probably late now," Trent stated as he threw his hands behind his head. The two boys nodded in agreement, sharing a fist bump; their fists obstructing their faces from Janine as she watched in annoyance. That annoyance quickly changed to interest as her attention shifted to the backpack. There appeared to be a rip at the bottom of the item, the fabric having become weak after much use as the notebook fell through it. The item landing on the ground didn't seem to be noticed by Bruce or Trent, the two boys turning away as they headed in a different direction.

Janine waited until they were out of her eyesight before making her move. Getting from her hiding spot, the girl made her way over to the dropped notebook. "Well, it wasn't how I expected things to go but now I have my proof."

Giddy at her accomplishment, she couldn't wait to show Ash everything they had hidden in this notebook. He was going to see that she was right, that they were on some crazy missions for who knows what. However, in her excitement she became unaware of her surroundings. Forgetting about her trap, Janine stepped forward to grasp the notebook; her foot stepping on the hidden item.

A noise entered the vicinity as the girl whipped her head around in a panic. Her trap had been sprung and there was no time to avoid it. The net quickly rose from the ground, Janine trapped within it as she found it impossible to move. Janine couldn't help but curse at herself for being so careless, this was something she learned years ago. How she fell for her own trap she would never be able to explain, the only positive out of this being how she needed to learn to control her emotions better. Had they been under control, she would have remembered the trap. Now suspended in the air, she sat uncomfortably with the notebook clasped tightly against her chest.

Time passed by slowly, Janine unsure of how much due to the changing season. The sky was getting darker sooner now, so what may have felt like late night could have just been late afternoon in reality. After what felt like an eternity of waiting, a familiar voice called out to her. Looking in the direction of the voice, a light smile crossed her face.

"Just been hanging out I see," Ash joked as he reached the net. Giving it a light push, he laughed lightly as the object swung back and forth until it came to a resting stop. Janine glared at him for the action, the boy smiling in an apologetic fashion. Even Pikachu was annoyed at his action, Janine laughing at how the Electric-Type was giving him an earful. Making his way over to the tree now, Ash slowly untied the net so as to not drop Janine on the pavement. With her feet back on the ground, Ash released the rope from his hand as the net dropped from around Janine.

"Mind explaining why you were sitting in a net?"

"It was for this!" she exclaimed smugly, her arm extended forward so that Ash could see the notebook.

"If you needed a notebook, I have extra."

"It isn't for me! It's going to prove that Bruce and Trent are hiding a secret!"

"Pikapichu?" Pikachu asked, the Electric-Type tilting his head in perfect timing with his trainer. Janine knew she had their attention now, the girl opening the book to its first page. Though its contents would only shock her.

"This...this can't be right," she muttered, flipping through multiple pages. Each was like the previous however, just normal school work. One page had information dedicated to different evolution stones, another about type matchups. Getting to the end of the item, she began to flip through the pages a second time as if her eyes had just played a joke on her. "Where's the stuff about gangsters and princes all that crazy junk. I know I heard them mention it all."

Ash reached forward, taking the notebook from Janine's clutches and tossing it into the nearby trash can. Smiling, he let out a chuckle that seemed to infect Janine. The girl quickly finding herself laughing as well.

"How about we forget about Bruce and Trent's stories and go grab something to eat. I'm starving!"

"Sure... I just can't believe I wasted all day stalking them and still found nothing."

"All day? It was only a few hours at most."

"You know what I meant," Janine replied, playfully hitting has they walked towards the cafeteria. Sighing, Janine threw her hands behind her back before casting a glance towards the sky. Perhaps whatever she heard _had_ just been her imagination after all. Either way, she did know that she didn't want to dwell on what could have been; she was going to be heading to Pallet Town shortly and this vacation was going to be a great experience for her.

* * *

"So that's what the notebook was for. I was a bit curious, bro," Bruce stated as they watched from atop one of the buildings.

"It was a bit rude to lead her on, but it isn't often we have someone catching onto us. I guess I just wanted a little fun," Trent replied, the boy walking along the edge of the building. Jumping from the ledge and back onto the roof, he chuckled lightly before smirking at his friend. "Besides, you were getting into it too by purposefully stopping right before her net."

"Oh I'm not complaining, but do you think we'll ever come back here?"

"Well we are enrolled for the next semester..." Trent replied before sighing out. A hand ran through his hair as a breeze kicked up. "But does it really matter? We've got bigger things to worry about, bro.

"A school setting was a nice change though. Even if we did end up winning when we tried to do everything _but_ win."

"I can't believe we managed to just stay in the air on Braviary the entire time without being attacked once. Really tells you how important we are here," Bruce replied as they both laughed at their crazy plan. What started out as a way to keep from showing their true strength ended up leading them to victory anyways.

Bruce pointed a finger outwards, a smile stretching across his face as he called out to his partner. "Ah well, let's get going!"

And with those words, the two boys vanished; neither leaving a trace of themselves on the building's roof. If it weren't for their enrollment or dorm room, no one would have even known they attended the school for the past semester.

* * *

 **And this brings an end to the first one shot. Just wanted to use it as a way to say goodbye to Bruce and Trent from any real importance from here on out. These two are great characters created by Epicocity (once again thank you for allowing them to appear), but if they remained in focus with the story they would have just been too powerful. I mean, even in the universe they originated from (the Ancienverse) they had to take a back seat so that the conflicts wouldn't end in a matter of minutes.**

 **Jokes aside, they'll still be around at Pokémon Academy, but they just won't be featured as they were in Beginnings.**

 **Thank you to everyone who read the chapter and supports this story. Please leave a review letting me know what you enjoyed and how I can improve the story.**


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